One Love
by MyNewPhilosophy
Summary: Olive and Ned finally reconnect, but what happens when the tables turn and Ned has to fight for Olive's love?
1. Waves of Love

**Disclaimer: **Well, if I didn't own 'Pushing Daisies' before...I am pretty sure I don't own it now...unless there is something Santa Claus forgot to tell me...

**Authors Note:** I couldn't wait to put up Chapter 2! Here it is! (and longer than the first one)

**Chapter 2: Waves of Love.**

Ned was outside of his apartment, sweeping his entry way when Olive popped out of her door with Digby in tow. She was wearing a white sailor like shirt, shorts and white high heels. She was carrying a beach bag and was putting sunscreen in her bag as she looked up and saw Ned.

"Hiya"

"Hey" he smiled.

They both exchanged awkward smiles from across the way.

"So...where are you headed?"

"Oh, I am taking Digby to the lake. I rented a boat for the day. I hope you don't mind?"

"Oh no, it's fine, he would like that."

"Ya I thought so, he doesn't really get out much...Well....I'll see you later then?"

"Okay..."

Olive walked away slowly and bit her lip. She turned around and yelped "Ned!" she had caught him just as he was about to enter back into his apartment.

"Yes?"

"Would you, ya know, want to come with us?"

"Oh, I wouldn't be a bother?" he asked sheepishly.

"Of course not silly!" she laughed.

Ned smiled at her. He knew that's what she would say, but he had just wanted to hear her say it. He turned around, put his broom inside his apartment, locked the door and headed out.

_______________________________________________________________________

"You know, you're not really dressed for boating..." Olive said while giving Ned's outfit a look over.

"This coming from the girl in heels." he laughed.

"Hey! As a vertically challenged woman, I need all the extra height I can get!" she laughed with a serious undertone.

Ned smiled. He loved hearing her laugh. It was one of a kind and when she laughed her whole face lit up. Just the thought of her laughing made him smile and get butterflies. When he was able to see it and hear it first hand, it made those feelings that much more palpable.

"Point taken"

"To be honest, I am note sure I even have shoes that aren't high heels. I would look like I twelve year old without them."

"No I am sure no one would ever confuse you for a twelve year old."

Olive smiled up at him as she unhooked Digby's leash and let him run into the lake. Olive started to walk down to the docks, motioning for Ned to follow. As they reached the front of the docks, Olive called for Digby to get into the boat she had rented. As the three of them entered they all sat down, Ned being cautious to sit across from Digby, and as close to Olive as possible, while Olive sat behind the drivers seat.

"Olive, I am going to be honest with you here...I don't go on boats often. In fact, I don't go on boats at all. And this...This is a little...unnerving." he said squirming in his seat.

"Oh don't you worry Mr. Just sit yourself down, and buckle up." She told him as she pulled out from the docks and motored towards the open water.

"Buckle Up?" Ned gulped.

Olive winked at him as he clicks in his seat belt, she sped off.

Even though it scared Ned to be in a speeding boat with a woman who could barely reach the peddles; it also brought a sense of adventure and carefree attitude he wasn't used to. And he was glad for it. He was glad for Olive.

______________________________________________________________

Olive slowed the boat down in the middle of the lake and got out of her seat.

"What are you doing?"

She reached over and undid his seat belt. Ned's heart, he swore, skipped a beat as he felt her body so close to his own.

"It's your turn." she smiled.

"Olive, I have no idea how to drive a boat." he reminded her.

"No problem, I will teach you. I am an excellent teacher." She took his hands in hears and pulled him out of his seat and motioned for him to sit in the drivers' seat. Reluctantly he walked over and sat down, wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and anxiously put them on the controls.

Olive couldn't help but laugh at how nervous he was. It was kinda cute.

With both hands on the steering wheel he looks up at Olive and asks "Okay...so now what?"

Olive smiled as she stepped close, reached around, took his right hand and placed it on the throttle. With her hand resting on top of his, she pushed the throttle just enough to get the boat to move forward.

"Ned, loosen up on the steering wheel. You're gonna break it!" she laughed at his now turning white knuckles clasped around the wheel. He smiled sheepishly and loosened his grip on the wheel.

Ned was trying to concentrate on what Olive was trying to teach him. But it was futile. Having Olive's arms around him, a feeling he definitely wasn't accustomed to. Touch. And that it was Olive holding his hands, her face inches from his own, made it very difficult for him to concentrate. The feeling of her breath on his neck wasn't helping either.

"Are you ready to go faster?" Olive encouraged.

"You mean we aren't going fast right now?"

"No, in fact I think I am pretty darn sure the snails on land stuck in mud are going faster than we are." she laughed.

Olive grabbed his hand and pushed down the throttle. As the boat sped off she held on to his shoulder tighter so she wouldn't loose her balance. She loved being this close to Ned. Spending this time with him. It made her feel everything she had wanted to feel for so long. She could finally be with Ned. Not Ned and Chuck and her. but just her and Ned. And she loved it.

_____________________________________

They rode like that for awhile before Olive broke the comfortable silence that had come between them. "You know...we should head back now. The sun is about to set."

"That's probably a good idea." Ned replied slowly taking his hand off the throttle and getting up from the seat. He looked back at Digby, fast asleep on the back chairs.

"Looks like he had fun."

"Ya, it does." Olive smiled as she sat back down in the drivers seat and smiled at him."I did too."

"Me too."

They looked at each other for awhile. Waiting for each other to make the next move.

Olive cleared her throat lightly and sat forward in her seat. "Right, so back to shore."

"Right" Ned said softly. Cursing himself for not doing what he had wanted to do for months....years.

The ride home was awkward with things they both wanted to say, but still, the ride remained uneventful.

As they pulled up to the dock and the deckhand started to tie the boat to the dock as Ned got out and Digby followed suit. Ned went to the back of the boat to hold his hand out for Olive to hold as she climbed out. As Olive was getting out her foot slipped and she stumbled.

But she fell right into Ned's arms. He helped her on to the dock but didn't let go of the grip he had on her waist.

"Are you okay?" he asked nervously.

"Just a bruised ego...I guess the high heels weren't such a good idea." she laughed lightly, her face turning a bright shade of red.

Ned smiled at her. There she was in his arms. _In his arms. _That was something he could get used to. There she was just inches from him. Looking into his eyes. It was more than he could take.

It was more than she could take. She could feel Ned's arms holding her. She could feel his heart beating. And prayed he couldn't feel hers, about to beat out of her chest. She couldn't contain how she felt any longer. If this was a dream, like so many other moments like this were, she was at least going to get a good memory out of it. She reached her arms up and wrapped her arms around his neck, and even in high heels she was on her tip toes. Noticing, Ned lifted her up, causing Olive to laugh lightly as she now looked down to him, she put her hands on his face, cupping it lightly, and pulled him closed. Until their lips met.


	2. Pickle You!

**Disclaimer: **It is with great displeasure that I must inform all of you...I do not own 'Pushing Daisies' or any of its characters. Let's take a moment of silence for this grave, grave news.

**Authors note: **Thank you to Katie who helped me with a bit of this! :)

**One Love  
**

**Chapter 3.**

**Pickle You!**

Little glances. Small smiles. This had become the regular schedule for Olive and Ned. But sadly to Olive's chagrin, that had been all since their kiss on the docks. No hugs. No dates. No kisses. No acknowledgment of any prior kisses. Olive was frustrated. But more, Olive was hurt. Did he not like the kiss? Was she a horrible kisser and just didn't know it? Did her breath repel him? She always brushed her teeth, and Mentos were always being popped in here or there to maintain quality freshness.

_"No, it couldn't be that_". She told herself.

_"He regrets it. That's it! He regrets kissing me!_" Suddenly, in a mad huff. Olive stormed over to the Piemaker. And punched him as hard as her 95 pound body would allow.

"Ow!" Ned turned around and came face to face with a very petite, very beautiful, _very mad_ Olive.

Rubbing his arm he said "What was that for?"

"For your information. I happen to know that I am a great kisser! And my breath is minty fresh! They don't call 'Mentos' "The Fresh-maker" for nothing! And how dare you regret kissing me! I Mr., am quite a catch. I am so great. I am a damn fine piece of woman! And if you still think our saliva is incompatible then...then...well....PICKLE YOU!" Olive grabbed her coat from the near by rack and stormed out of the coffee shop without another word.

Ned looked back and forth and then out the door with a confused look on his face. "What just happened?" he unknowingly spoke allowed. An elderly man sitting across the way looked at Ned, shook his head and said "Well young man, I'd say it's time you learned that little woman is mad for you, not at you." The old man took a sip of his coffee, dropped his money on the counter, got up, smiled at Ned, and walked out the door.

Ned didn't know what was more confusing, the fight with Olive that seemed to come out of no where. The old man's words. Or "pickle you".

_________________

Ned closed the store early that day. He knew he couldn't make the best pies possible when his mind was strictly on Olive. As he walked up to his apartment, he looked at Olive's door. He could practically feel the anger waves radiating from her door. He took a deep breath and walked straight to Olive's door and knocked determined, three times. He waited for awhile before he heard Olive about. The door whipped open.

Olive looked at him, not mad, but irritated. "Yes?' she asked incredulously.

"Um...can I come in...?" All his strong man resolve melted away when he saw her face. She was definitely mad AT him.

Olive squinted at him, sighed and dropped her tense shoulders and nodded her head in the direction of her front living room

She sat cross legged on the couch with her arms folded. Looking critically at Ned, waiting for him to speak.

After a few minutes of silent and awkward air, "Is there a reason you're here Ned?" she said quietly.

"What? Oh..yes. Look, about today...I..don't know what happened. And I am confused. And pickle me?"

Olive smiled a little "well, that was tame to what I wanted to say..."

Ned sat across from her on the coffee table. He look right into her endless eyes. "Olive, what did I do wrong?"

"You went back to Ned, the Piemaker. Not Ned and Olive. It seemed...well it seemed like you just didn't care."

"What? I smile at you all time!"

"Ned, a girl needs more of a smile. You act like we didn't kiss. And that the kiss was a one time thing. It feels...like before." she looked down, forcing herself not to cry.

Ned hated this. But Ned was not an...openly affectionate guy. He was a private person. But then.._"I guess I haven't been making it known in private either."_

"Olive." he grabs her hands lightly and rubs his thumbs along her palms.

Olive looked at him, feeling pathetic for crying. She sniffed in response.

"I don't regret kissing you. I don't think you are a bad kisser. You're a great kisser. Thinking about that kiss still gives me goosebumps." he laughed.

She smiled lightly.

"You're breath was minty fresh. You were--and are amazing. And I know that."

"Then why don't you say so? How come we haven't been out again? It's been a week! You haven't called. You haven't came over. You haven't even held my hand or talked about that day. at all."

"I didn't know I was supposed to. You knew it happened. I knew it happened. And I just..." he looked down for a minute then back at Olive "I just want to take this slow...I rushed into everything with Chuck. And I want this" he squeezed her hands "to last forever."

Olive looked down and openly sobbed.

Ned looked at her quizzically. "Why are you crying?" Are you okay?"

She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward and hugged him tightly.

"Why didn't you just _say_ that!" she laughed through her tears.

Ned laughed "I don't know".

Olive pulled back and smiled.

Ned wiped away her tears and cupped her face in his hands. "Better?"

Olive smiled "Better"


End file.
